Nov 22, 2006

Posterpalooza

14 comments:

At the risk of sounding huffy, I must say...what's with the mask? I understand it's...you know...like a symbolic picture and shit, but come on. It looks like some friggin Japanese theatre mask or something, what with the upturned mouth and carefully sculpted nose. The mask in Silence of the Lambs was utilitarian. It was creepy, but it served a purpose. It's not as if Hannibal was using the mask when he was killing people like Michael Myers uses a mask when killing people.

Does Thomas Harris have anything to do wih this movie? I know nothing about it. Hannibal, both the book and film, were really disappointing to me. They each had their moments, but by the end...oi, what a clusterfuck of ill-conceived ideas. The book was only marginally better than the film.

Remember all the hype around the book when it was released? I remember riding the subway home one night shortly after it hit the stands and there were EIGHT PEOPLE in the car reading it. It was kinda cool.

It feels awkward in here, like I'm posting but in the comments section. I feel so...so...alone.

Fear not, I to think that poster looks incredibly lame. And the title makes me think of the film Deep Rising, which makes me invision Lecter's tectacly appendage, um, "rising" and engulfing, then slurping out the precious bodily fluids of his victims...ew.

Thomas Harris has both written the book, which comes out in December, that this film based on, as well as the actual script for the movie.

I'll read the book, but I doubt that I will watch the movie. It just doesn't interest me all that much.

I think a better question is whether Mr. Harris has anything else to do. The Hannibal thing was over after that crappy sequel which...ugh, hate! This looks like some straight to DVD crap thrown together in an attemp to squeeze a bit more green out of an already dead franchise. Mr. Harris needs to move the hell on.

These movies, unlike a F13, Elm Street, or Halloween kind of really rely on having atleast some of the original cast come back, mainly the villain. Hannibal isn't a faceless kill machine and he's played by a pretty distinct actor whose face we totally associate with the character. Not so sure people want to see some nameless WB-esque kid trying the fava beans line. Just as most of us weren't buying Julianna Moore as Clarice because Jodie Foster made that character in very specific ways that Ms. Moore just couldn't recapture. No offense to her because she's a great actress, but she just was not Clarice, and all that's mute since I kinda think Hannibal should never have been made in the first place.

Hi, I've been reading Final Girl for awhile, but haven't commented before.

That poster...Gads. I'm of the opinion that they should have stopped the Hannibal Lecter movies with SotL-"Hannibal" was a mess, and "Red Dragon" was unnecessary and just plain no good(I looked at it as a remake of Manhunter, which didn't need to be redone).

From the looks of this, this, THING, it seems like they've decided to make it a comedy. It's almost cartoonish-the mouth looks like it's got three teeth in it, and the nose is ridiculous. It reminds me of something, too-it's going to bug me all day, I just know it.

I don't mind it. It gets the point of the movie across, which is what a poster is supposed to do. What else matters? But don't listen to me, I;m an anomoly - my standards are low which keeps me humble and easily pleased.

Personally, I don't think the Hannibal character, as sikechick mentioned, is one that should be given a "series" of movies. Each installment sort of dilutes all that was evil and scary about the character in Silence. And given how "plain", I guess you could say, Brian Cox played him in Manhunter- far less campy than Hopkins's's turns- turning him into a movie "boogeyman" through many movies seems even sillier.

Harris probably needs to jump this train, but I guess a cash cow is a cash cow.

Dusk, I'm glad the poster works for you. I don't think talking about bad design makes one...err, unhumble, or anything else. I enjoy discussing art and design and intent. That's all this is- you seem to think I attach more importance or something to these posters than I really do. I do, however, enjoy the subject. It "matters" as much as a horror movie itself does, you know? I'll talk about comic book covers, book jackets, CD design, concert posters, movie posters, any of it. Design interests me.

Personally, I don't think this poster gets the point of this particular movie across, but that's just a matter of opinion. When companies are spending gazillions of advertising dollars to sell you a movie, I think it's worth talking about the effectiveness of said advertising on a movie blog. In the grand sceme of things, of course, the Hannibal poster has fuck all bearing on my life, but, as I said, I like to discuss art and design and horror movies. If you don't think any of it is noteworthy, that's cool. But if I didn't think it was worth discussing, I wouldn't post about it. Like casting a Dallas movie with people from horror movies...that's, you know, important so I post about it.

The series of movies makes me kind of eh. Silence at first made me curl up now because of the constant showing of it I sit there and just the acting grabs me. I like that each one you learn more about Hannibal's character. I like to see his character evolves. How each one adds to him. I will watch this movie not in the theater mind you. I want to see what was it that created the man we have come to know over the years.

Bryan- I agree with everything you said, and you said it so well that I'm thinking about taking credit for your comment.

sucka- You're right...here's hoping we get a Revenge of the Sith-style "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" out of Lecter at some point.

ali- I agee, he IS an intriguing character, and it would be wonderful to know "what makes him tick". I felt with Hannibal (towards the end- the beginning was ok), it got so campy and out of control. Silence is an amazing movie, but it's also very...almost...dry. It's all about the acting. Jonathan Demme did a great job, too.

A HUGE factor in Silence's success, in my opinion, is the score. It's powerful and it's perfect, yet it never overwhelms. The whole movie is understanted, though it COULD HAVE crossed into sensationalism, which is where I fear this new movie is really going to go...an opinion based solely on that poster. I mean, whatever Hannibal was, he was also a successful, brilliant shrink. He had a career for who knows how long, so to all outward appearances he couldn't have been TOO outrageous, you know?

dusk- one man's compliment is another (wo)nman's insult, I guess. I wouldn't have deleted it (I also deleted my response), but you misspelled my name and that...THAT, SIR, is a capital offense.